How to Regroup and Refocus When Your Day Seems Like It’s Getting Away From You

Posted April 28th, 2017

Time flies when you’re not working to complete anything on your to-do list. If you were unexpectedly called into a meeting or pulled away from your desk to help a colleague with a project, you probably panicked when you looked up and caught a glimpse of the clock. What was supposed to be just a few minutes turned into a few hours, and now it’s almost lunch time.

Don’t panic. Take a few deep breaths and find your calm. You can absolutely still end the day on a productive note by following these three tips to regroup and refocus.

Get Back In the Zone

Silence the noise surrounding your day. Close your office door, put your smartphone away, and turn your email notification off. These distractors may or may not be the reason your day is quickly passing you by, but they certainly won’t help matters. It’s impossible to focus when constantly interrupted, so remove every distraction getting in your way. If you can’t concentrate in your office, move to a quiet space where you won’t be disrupted.

Revisit Your Task List

At the beginning of the day, you made a list of things to accomplish before heading home, but this may need to be tweaked. Take a look at everything on your plate and push projects that can wait to the side. The chaos of your morning might mean you need to realign your priorities, and that’s okay. Being flexible and open to change makes it easier to shift gears.

Don’t Be Afraid to Say ‘No’

You’re a busy person with a full workload, so stand up for yourself. If the colleague who took much of your morning hours needs even more of your time, it’s okay to politely decline. Let the person know you’d like to help, but have too much work of your own to assist any more today. If they persist, tell them to check your calendar and schedule time tomorrow or later in the week for further assistance.

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